Australia’s most populous state reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and a sharp jump in hospitalizations while thousands of people were isolating at home after contracting the virus or coming into contact with someone who has.
FILE - A man has a swab taken at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, on Dec. 21, 2021. Australia’s most populous state reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases and a sharp jump in hospitalizations while thousands of people isolated at home after contracting the virus or coming into contact with someone who has. SYDNEY —
More than 70 percent of cases in some Australian states are the omicron variant of the coronavirus but New South Wales does not routinely carry out genome testing to identify the variant. State Health Minister Brad Hazzard indicated Sunday that omicron is widespread. Health officials reported 458 active cases in hospitals across the state, up sharply from 388 the day before. There were 52 people in intensive care in New South Wales.
More than 30,000 people in Victoria spent Christmas isolating at home, unable to celebrate with family or friends. Of those, about half were reported to be active cases who contracted the virus in the days leading up to Christmas.
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